The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside has been awarded a $250,000 Stop the Hate grant from the California Department of Social Services.
In a continued effort to curb hate crime violence, the Department of Social Services has awarded $91.4 million to 173 organizations to support victims of hate crimes by providing services to survivors and facilitating anti-hate prevention measures.
In the last 10 years, reported hate crime events have increased by 89.6%, and the number of victims of reported hate crimes increased by 41.9% from 2020 to 2021, according to the state attorney general’s office. Closer to home, CBS News reports that hate crimes skyrocketed in San Diego, up 65% percent from 2021 to 2022.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside will use grant funds to provide its Youth United program with 600 members at all club locations. Youth United is a diversity and inclusion program that utilizes an age-appropriate curriculum reflective of the evolving racial justice discourse. The main program goal remains to create a club environment that embraces inclusion and diversity, making prejudice, discrimination, and hate unwelcome and unacceptable.
Hate crimes targeting people with disabilities are also on the rise. To address this issue, the organization will use grant funds to implement hate-crime education and training for its Real Options for Adults with Disabilities staff and members. The club will also provide extensive outreach and education to the local community through impactful marketing materials and via the community Food Truck program.
“Our Club has a long history of providing DEI and anti-hate programming to our members, and this incredible grant will allow us to expand on that. It is imperative to the health of all of our members to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment, and this important partnership with CDSS will allow us to accomplish that. While there is much work to do, I remain hopeful that acceptance and inclusion will win over hate,” CEO Jodi Diamond said.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside, contact Ashley Tousignant at (760) 433-8920 and visit the organization’s website at BGCOceanside.org.
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